The festival of Purim is a joyous celebration. For the full story, read the Book of Esther. Background: an evil man name of Haman, one of King of Persia's courtiers, hated the Jews because one man, Mordechai, would not bow to him. He plotted to have all the Jews in the kingdom wiped out. Queen Esther, through information from her uncle and adoptive father, Mordechai, was able to stop the plot and punish Haman. Punish. Putting it mildly. He was executed by the same means he plotted to have Mordechai executed.
This story is one of many about Jews' being saved from persecution and annihilation. It is celebrated by the reading of the Megillah (Book of Esther) in the synagogue. During the reading, at the every mention of Haman, the crowd erupts with boos, stamping feet, groggers (noise makers)--noise to drown out the sound of his name.
Children especially come in costume, and many adults do too. After the reading of the Megillah, we partake of a buffet of traditional Purim foods, and the children strut their costumes. There was a magician, too, to entertain the children, but I find delight in works of magic. There's still a part of me that is childlike in wonder.
We eat Hamentashen, a three-cornered pastry filled with pureed fruit. Drink wine and generally indulge in undignified merrymaking.
I had to come home before the partying was over. My ears were screaming for mercy from all the noise. The entertainers and leaders of fun were using microphones, much amplified, and my poor eardrums rebelled.
I don't know how long the partying continued, but I imagine the neighbors in the apartments that back up to the synagogue property were very happy when people finally went home.
Had a wonderful visit with a newly married friend and her husband. Her I've known a number of years. Him I've known only since she introduced him as her betrothed several months ago. KK was utterly fascinated by him. I'm sure he remembered from the first time they visited me together.
J & R were married in Washington State, on the coast near Anacortes, with his family in attendance. It was a rather non-traditional Jewish wedding, but kosher nonetheless. Later they went to Vienna to celebrate with her family there. They brought a computer disk with pictures of the wedding, so I was able to participate vicariously in their wedding. J said she had on two pair of thermals under her wedding dress, and was still cold. R had only one pair of thermals on, and he said he was freezing!! I can testify that it can get cold there!! They came a couple hours before the services at the synagogue, and they caught me up on their doings since J introduced R to me. Next time we visit, they'll have pictures of their stay in Vienna.
I told my friends I had to be a party-pooper, but to come back to my place when they'd had their fill of partying. Which they did. And stayed another couple hours. It was SO good! R has a farm a few miles from here, and they'll be spending their time between Sacramento and the farm until planting time comes. I have an invitation to visit. But I hope that doesn't include the expectation of digging and planting. 
Interestingly enough, they met at the Farmers Market where J has been volunteering for probably 15 years, and R has been bringing produce for about 10 years. They never took notice of each other until fairly recently. Don't even remember having seen each other until their first recognizable meeting. But...as our Rabbi says "In Hashem's time; not ours."
Marriage has been good for J. She glows. 
She's always been stick-thin, but she's put on weight. It looks good on her. R says he's gained weight, too, and they both paint to their middles. J is, I'd guess, 5 feet 8 inches tall, and she says she's all the way up to 118 pounds. Wow!
It was a good day. I participated in a joyous celebration and had several hours of catch-up time with friends. Yes, it was a good day.
Shalom